Corporate Advocacy Program: The best way to manage and repair your business reputation. Hiding negative complaints is only a Band-Aid. Consumers want to see how businesses take care of business. All businesses will get complaints. How those businesses take care of those complaints is what separates good businesses from bad businesses.

"Exclusive Private Marketing Channels", "Names and access to open positions" was the advertising that RL Stevens & Associates gave in their advertising at www.interviewing.com. I paid this corporation $3,475.00 to aid in a transition from military to civilian life. They promised training. They promised lots of things. They provided little. They have lied a lot.

I was promised training at their Louisville, KY office that never happened. The only information I received was data lists from such sources as Gale Research Corp. and Manufacturing News, copyright 1997. The cover page said that these lists are old and out of date before they receive them. Where were the contacts and leads to open positions? They were nonexistent.

Complaining to this corporation has been a nightmare. I have been trying for over a year to get a copy of the contract that I do not have. For two months, I persisted in trying to get it. They would not answer e-mails requesting it. Sending a letter to them only got me a cover page and a final page. The final page has no record of payments, is only dated with a month and year and does not have my signature. It has been over a year and I still don't have it. Their claim is that I know too much not to have it and they don't have to give it. They demanded that I describe in detail what I did not receive. Trying to do this to get my money back has resulted in their corporation committing internet fraud.

Their regional director refused to write and only would answer by email. This was to have no legal record of the complaint. He attempted to make me believe that the reason that I did not receive services was because of computer compatibility. He had emails automatically rejected and tried to have me believe that this was the problem. RLStevens.com stated that their regional manager did not exist when a query was sent to them asking was the mail was rejected.

Trying mediation through the State of Kentucky only brought more lies. I rejected his offer of settlement and he asked for a counter-proposal. I sent it and never heard from him again. For training they claim a "bait and swith" in that they sent a video tape. With a video tape, how are you supposed to receive taped interview training? He said that I had received everything. Sending copies of all of his traffic to him, he lied on public record that he never heard from me. Replying to his lies only brought this response. If you join a health spa, don't get a contract, etc., you pay for what you get. I asked the State of Kentucky to go higher in the corporation. That brought a response from Randolph Stevens,the president and owner of the coporation.

He stated that it was a lot of money for someone in my position that I should accept their offer. What he does not want anyone to know is what he requires for them to settle. First, you the consumer have to write letters and lie for his corporation. Second, you have to agree to accept the liability and pay for any damages they perceive to their corporation from their lies, internet fraud, and breaking the law. Finally, he wants me to sign a Release of Contract where no contract even exists.

Rejecting this and stating that I was going to inform the public only brought a barrage of phone calls from Randolph Stevens who now wants me to call him Randy. He blocked his phone number. His last letter and letters previous to that one state that I agreed to binding arbitration. With the State of Kentucky saying that this needs to be taken to a court of law, they will maintain that the state in which you chose to complain feels we are being fair and resonable. You are not being fair and resonible. Randy, as he knows calls himself, has tried to use goading, intimitation and threats of "they take slander seriously" to get me to sign his document. I have refused. He now compares his business to a bad hotel room.

This corporation places itself above any consumer laws, but wants will threaten you with legal action if you report them.

Writing to the BBB has resulted in no response. People need to have a full disclosure of what this corporation is about and steer well clear of it. It will only result in a lot of grief, heartache and sleepless nights.

Corporate Advocacy Program: The best way to manage and repair your business reputation. Hiding negative complaints is only a Band-Aid. Consumers want to see how businesses take care of business. All businesses will get complaints. How those businesses take care of those complaints is what separates good businesses from bad businesses.

AUTHOR: - ()

SUBMITTED: Wednesday, October 25, 2000

POSTED: Wednesday, October 25, 2000

Sending a letter of complaint to the State of Tennessee Department of Commerce to try and get this corporation on a bad business list has resulted in Randolph Stevens telling more lies. In letters to me he admitted that I did not receive access to their web site where he claims is where they provide open job listings to new and start-up companies. In his letter to the State he says that he was provided information on new and start-up companies. All that was ever provided were lists from Gale Research Corp., Manufacturing News, and Tech Info that were copyrighted in 1997. Their employee stated in his letter that these lists are old and out of date before they receive them.

Another lie is that he now claims a contract is dated December 15,1998. Before he claimed it was dated November 2, 1998. He has overed my money back if and only if I will sign a Release of Contract. The stipulations are: 1. You absolve his corporation of all damages, 2. You argree to write letters to anyone you have complained to that you have satisfactorily settled, 3. You agree to pay for their damages if they receive any request for information including that which is in public record, and 4. You will have legal action taken against you if you ever say anything about my corporation.

I have been advised by several attornies not to sign it due to the fact that there is no contract. Signing their document would only give them an open check book to make even more money.

This has been based on the fact that this corporation has lied in every step of the process. They have tried to deceive me with internet fraud by creating false computer problems, used intimidation, have lied to two different State Governments and have even gone so far as to claim they have a service evaluation that states that I have a contract and everything provided has been satisfactory. He claims the date on it is November 16, 1998. Asking for a complete copy of the contract and the evaluation has gone on deaf ears.

Attornies in my State will not take this case because the corporation is not licensed to do business here. I can not afford to take it to Massachusetts where this corporation is licensed.

Corporate Advocacy Program: The best way to manage and repair your business reputation. Hiding negative complaints is only a Band-Aid. Consumers want to see how businesses take care of business. All businesses will get complaints. How those businesses take care of those complaints is what separates good businesses from bad businesses.